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Local churches mark start of Lent

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« on: February 23, 2012, 07:46:21 am »

Local churches mark start of Lent

Ash Wednesday is the official beginning of the Lenten season, and the day can't go by for many Christians without a visit to church.

Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church planned three Masses on Wednesday. All three traditionally are well-attended, Father Jonathan Wilson said.

He said the origin of the day comes out of the Old Testament, with the use of sackcloth and ash as public signs of repentance.

"The church incorporated this tradition as the sign of beginning the season of Lent and the time to repent for our sins," Wilson said. "Signs of ashes on our foreheads resonates deeply within Catholics." SO DO COOKIES  Cheesy

REST: http://www.newarkadvocate.com/article/20120223/NEWS01/202230340

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« Reply #1 on: February 23, 2012, 07:47:47 am »

Ash
wednesday

The first day of Lent. As an act of penitence, palms saved from the
previous year’s "Palm Sunday" are burned to ashes and placed in the
shape of a cross on individuals’ foreheads on this day. (Webster’s
Dictionary, Carnival)

Lent

A forty-day period of penitence and prayer instituted by the Roman
Catholic Church which begins on Ash Wednesday and prepares for the
celebration of Easter. Though previously lasting less than a week, during
the seventh century it came to represent the forty days, one day for
every year of Tammuz’s life.

The word "lent" comes from the old English "lencten," which means
"Spring." Created by the Catholic Church around 525, under the
guidance of Abbot Dionysus the Little,. The observance is not found in
the Bible, so it was not recognized by Jesus, the apostles, or the early
Christian Church.

This period of abstinence actually originated in Babylon, as a preliminary
to the annual day that honored the death and resurrection of Tammuz;
and later was observed in Egypt to honor Osiris, the son of Isis, who was
the counterpart of Tammuz.

When Nimrod died, and was made the sun god, Semiramis then had an
illegitimate son called Tammuz, who she claimed to be the son of
Nimrod. She said that he was the "promised seed of the woman,"
(Genesis 3:15) and demanded that both her and Tammuz be
worshipped. He became symbolized by the golden calf. She became
known as the "queen of heaven," and was the prototype from which
all other pagan goddesses came. Her representation can be seen in
the Roman Catholic Church's worship of Mary, who is called the "Mother
of the Church," the "Queen of Heaven and Earth," and the "Queen of the
Universe." These titles can not refer to Mary, the mother of Jesus,
because nowhere in the Bible does it talk about Mary's role in such a
way. 1Ti 2:5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and
men, the man Christ Jesus;

According to Babylonian tradition, when Tammuz was killed, his mother
cried so much, that he came back to life. The manifestation of this was
the rebirth and blooming of all vegetation in the Spring, which came to
symbolize his resurrection, and why Tammuz is honored in the Spring.
Very similar, is the story in the ancient writings of the Sumerians, in
Mesopotamia, which said that Tammuz was married to the goddess
Inanna (Ishtar), the "mother goddess."

Ezekiel 8:12-13 talks about the women weeping for Tammuz and this
actually refers to what became the 40-day Lenten period. –Controlled by
the Calendar p 46, 47

Ezekiel 8:13-14: He said also unto me, Turn thee yet again, and thou
shalt see greater abominations that they do. Then he brought me to the
door of the gate of the LORD'S house which [was] toward the north; and,
behold, there sat women weeping for Tammuz.

Then said he unto me, Hast thou seen [this], O son of man? turn thee
yet again, [and] thou shalt see greater abominations than these. And he
brought me into the inner court of the LORD'S house, and, behold, at the
door of the temple of the LORD, between the porch and the altar, [were]
about five and twenty men, with their backs toward the temple of the
LORD, and their faces toward the east; and they worshipped the sun
toward the east.

According to Johannes Cassianus, who wrote in the fifth century,
“Howbeit you should know, that as long as the primitive church retained
its perfection unbroken, this observance of Lent did not exist” (First
Conference Abbot Theonas, chapter 30).

A forty-day abstinence period was anciently observed in honor of the
pagan gods Osiris, Adonis and Tammuz (John Landseer, Sabaean
Researches, pp. 111, 112).

“The forty days abstinence of Lent was directly borrowed from the
worshippers of the Babylonian goddess. Such a Lent of forty days, in the
spring of the year, is still observed by the Yezidis or Pagan Devilworshippers
of Koordistan, who have inherited it from their early
masters, the Babylonians. Such a Lent of forty days was held in spring
by the Pagan Mexicans…Such a Lent of forty days was observed in
Egypt…” -Alexander Hislops, The Two Babylons, p. 104-105
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« Reply #2 on: February 23, 2012, 07:53:29 am »

Easter/Ishtar: Paganism Repackaged
4/8/2007

In this teaching we will be focusing on the history of Easter, exploring its disturbing undeniable Pagan roots. To be objective I have endeavored to garner input from not only Christian sources but also Catholic and Pagan sources as well; and as you will see all three sides are in agreement as to Easter’s Pagan origin and history. We will explore exactly when the holiday of Easter was incorporated into the Roman Catholic Church at the Council of Nicaea in 325 AD; whereby this practice then started to permeate and leaven many other branches of Christianity.

Of further note we will prove how the date of Easter is always determined by (the Biblically forbidden practice of) Astrology and how its date changes every year as a result. If this were the true date of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, HOW COULD IT CHANGE? We will also be looking at Easters close ties to Pagan goddess known as Ishtar and the specific associations and practices of Easter like: The Easter Bunny, Colored Eggs, Lent, Ash Wednesday, Hot Cross Buns, Spring Break, The Easter Ham, Wicker Easter Baskets, Easter Sunrise Service, Mardi Gras, etc. . . .

Lastly we will explore why only the King James Version translates the Greek word “pascha” to “Easter” (instead of “Passover”) in Acts 12:4; and how this is one more proof of the superiority of the Authorized King James Version.

http://www.contendingfortruth.com/?p=1184
http://mp3.cftresources.com/2007_04-08__.mp3
http://pdf.cftresources.com/2007_04-08__.pdf
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« Reply #3 on: February 23, 2012, 09:26:19 am »

Having lived in New Orleans for almost 20 years, saw all this after the so-called Mardi Gras festivities ended - on "Fat Tuesday" was engulfing what your heart desired, only to refrain from it for the following 40 days. If that isn't blasphemous, I don't know what is. Even the non-Catholics in the metroplex bought into this as well.
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« Reply #4 on: February 23, 2012, 01:02:26 pm »

Obama: 'Michelle and I Honor Ash Wednesday'

A week after every Roman Catholic bishop in the United States denounced his decision to move forward with a regulation that will force American Catholics to act against the teachings of their faith by requiring that they purchase health insurance plans that pay for sterilizations, contraceptives and abortifacients, President Barack Obama issued a three-sentence statement saying he and his wife are honoring Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent.

The president's statement on Ash Wednesday did not mention Jesus Christ, the Crucifixion, the Resurrection or Easter.

“Today, Michelle and I honor Ash Wednesday with Christians around the country and across the world,” Obama said. “This is at once a solemn and joyous occasion, an opportunity to remember both the depths of sacrifice and the height of redemption. We join millions in entering the Lenten Season with truly thankful hearts, mindful of our faith and our obligations to one another.”

Ash Wednesday, which falls on Feb. 22 this year, marks the beginning of Lent, a period of 40 days during which the faithful make sacrifices and fast on certain days to commemorate Christ’s passion and death and to prepare for Easter, which this year will fall on April 8. Lent is observed by Catholics as well as Christians of other denominations.

In the Catholic Church on Ash Wednesday, people attend Mass and at the end of Mass the priests place the sign of the cross on their foreheads in ashes, saying: Remember, man, thou art dust, and unto dust thou shalt return."

Obama issued statements for Ash Wednesday for 2011 and 2010 that are posted on the White House Web site.

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops have declared that Obama's regulation forcing all health-care plans sold in the United States to cover sterilizations, contraceptives and abortifacients an "unprecedented attack on religious liberty." The church teaches that sterilization, artificial contraception and abortion are morally wrong and that Catholics should not be involved in  them. In letters read in Catholic parishes around the country, bishops have said of Obama's regulation: "We cannot--we will not--comply with this unjust law."

http://cnsnews.com/news/article/obama-michelle-and-i-honor-ash-wednesday?utm
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« Reply #5 on: February 23, 2012, 04:53:51 pm »

Yeah, as you can see, even the unbelieving world embraces Lent. When I attended a Catholic HS in New Orleans, I don't recall anyone there that talked about Jesus's cruxufixtion and resurrection when the subject of Lent came up. They were like, "Just give up whatever your ingulgences are for 40 days, and everything will be ok!".
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« Reply #6 on: February 17, 2013, 12:34:12 pm »

a little discombobulated at first, the middle is the good parts about lent, than i think he really gets lost at the end


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« Reply #7 on: February 17, 2013, 08:42:19 pm »

i need everyone to listen to what Hoggard is saying starting at the 1:16:00 mark. Is it me or is he saying that we have inherited sin from Satan through EVE? The "serpent seed"?  He even says its in our DNA, whats our DNA look like? Our DNA looks exactly like the serpent twining together. Thats who we are thats why we have to be crucified with Christ.

Im sorry but what? Sin came about through ADAM, not EVE.

Rom 5:12  Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:

The Bible clearly states this. Can others please listen and verify please.
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« Reply #8 on: February 18, 2013, 12:43:59 am »

i need everyone to listen to what Hoggard is saying starting at the 1:16:00 mark. Is it me or is he saying that we have inherited sin from Satan through EVE? The "serpent seed"?  He even says its in our DNA, whats our DNA look like? Our DNA looks exactly like the serpent twining together. Thats who we are thats why we have to be crucified with Christ.

Im sorry but what? Sin came about through ADAM, not EVE.

Rom 5:12  Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:

The Bible clearly states this. Can others please listen and verify please.

Just listened to that segment.

First off, good catch - to be honest, if I had listened to it in its entirety(without discussing it among others), I wouldn't have caught the part where he ended up throwing in how our flesh is born of the seed of the serpent(b/c of what the serpent did at the Garden of Eden deceiving Eve). To be honest, no, I don't think he was trying to be intentionally deceptive, per se, HOWEVER...like with his other teachings et al, he goes OVERBOARD with all of this numerology(and DNA for that matter too), that it looks like he ends up out-thinking himself.

No, I'm not defending him at all, b/c he IS in error here by trying to go overboard with numerology(ie-this is something the Freemasons, Jesuits, et al do - the bible clearly says to NOT to learn the way of the heathen). But just saying fwiw, I didn't think he was doing it intentionally per se.

Ultimately, it's important that we as Christians do NOT learn the ways of the heathen - yeah, there MIGHT be some truth to numerology in the bible, but to go overboard thinking it leads to some "hidden knowledge" is really entering into a danger zone.

As for the "seed of the serpent" - we've also had discussions here that there's a BIG difference b/w warring in our flesh vs. demon possession.

2Cor 11:3  But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.
2Co 11:4  For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.


Rom_7:18  For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.

And yeah, he also goes overboard trying to link the skull and bones symbol with lent/the mark. I couldn't see any connection.
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« Reply #9 on: February 18, 2013, 02:49:17 am »

This is what happens when a person mixes ideologies, thinking they can better explain than scripture. They think THEY can explain it, thus change a person's mind and attitude, by their efforts get a person to repent and acknowledge the truth. THEY can't. It is only the Spirit that opens the eyes of the blind, and gives wisdom and discernment. Not man and his explanations.

"But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost..."

As for his comments on the "seed"? The way he is trying to make a point about the corruption of the flesh does make it sound...incorrect.

It's as if he's mixing up the process of events or something. Maybe he simply misspoke, and it didn't come out as he intended? Whatever, the way he puts it, he's wrong, sort of.

Yes, Eve was deceived...

"And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression." 1 Timothy 2:14 (KJB)

But, where he is mistaken is in how the seed passes, which biologically is by the man, not the woman. There is no "seed of satan". That gives him too much credit! No seed passed from the father of lies, and all he did was speak (lie) to Eve. Adam's seed did the passing the old-fashioned biological/carnal way, which is how the seed is passed generation to generation, to all mankind, thus making us all guilty before God.

Besides, "flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God"

Adam's flesh became corrupted as a result of his listening to the woman and not God, and by his seed passing through child-birth, all flesh is now corrupted and guilty, which is why we need Jesus, because "...this corruptible must put on incorruption...".

"Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;" Hebrews 2:14 (KJB)

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« Reply #10 on: March 06, 2014, 03:31:53 am »

What is Ash Wednesday?

 This Wednesday (March 5) marks the beginning of Lent with Ash Wednesday. For ChristiansCatholics, Lent is a 40-day season of fasting, reflection and penance culminating in Holy Week and the Easter Sunday commemoration of Jesus’ Resurrection.

The Rev. Arne Panula, director of the Catholic Information Center in Washington, D.C., said his experience is that more people go to church on Ash Wednesday than any other holiday, including Christmas and Easter.
no surprise there, the more witchcraft the more people

Here are a few basics on the Ash Wednesday tradition:

When was the first Ash Wednesday celebrated?

Early Christians celebrated the first Ash Wednesday sometime around the Early Middle Ages, Panula said. Monsignor Kevin Irwin, a liturgy specialist at Catholic University, said the practice started in the 10th century and became an official liturgy in the 13th century.

What? Early Christians never practiced this. Oh wait, we are using catholics terms, so almost 900 years after the star of the church, thats what early Christians mean.  Roll Eyes This witchcraft was never done by any of the early church nor Jesus.

Is Ash Wednesday a Roman Catholic observance?

Catholics are not the only group observing Ash Wednesday. Anglicans/Episcopalians, Lutherans, United Methodists and other liturgical Protestants partake in receiving ashes. Historically, the practice has not been common among evangelicals.

Protestants are just grumpy Catholics. Christians on the other hand have never practiced this.

Panula said Muslims, Jews and even people who aren’t religious can honor the tradition as a reminder of man’s shortcomings. “People recognize that it is a symbol of our mortality,” he said. “It gives us a profound sense that we are mortal, and Ash Wednesday is a reminder of that.”

ahh, another form of ecumenism, yep nothing like a little morality to bring people together. Especially with that Muslim convert or die stuff.

In a typical Ash Wednesday service, a minister recites Genesis 3:19 — “For dust you are and to dust you shall return” — while applying the ashes in the shape of a cross on the recipient’s forehead.

Does the service have to be performed in a church?

No. While Catholics almost always receive the ashes inside a church, people in other religious traditions now celebrate the ritual without necessarily having to step foot inside a church. Some churches offer “ashes to go,” which gives busy participants the option of receiving ashes on a street corner, at a train station or in some other public venue. A state-by-state list of churches in the U.S. that administer on-the-go ashes can be found at Ashestogo.org. A pastor, deacon or lay person can administer the ashes. For Catholics, Ash Wednesday rites usually (but not always) consist of Mass.

Where do the ashes come from?

Typically, the ashes that are placed on the forehead of the individual come from branches used in the previous year’s Palm Sunday services, which falls one week before Easter and commemorates Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem.

The palms themselves don’t necessarily come from the Holy Land, but instead from various religious suppliers around the country.

What do the ashes on the forehead represent?

The ashes are a profound symbolism for observers. Ash Wednesday is not an official “holy day of obligation” for Catholics, but it is a deeply ingrained tradition, even for people who may not be particularly observant. The ashes — a traditional sign of mourning and repentance — are meant to remind people that life is short.

“It is a time for Christians to carry the cross,” Panula said. “The observance is a symbol of our Lord emblazoned on the forehead of Christians.”

oh, we get to play Jesus and try to win our selves a spot in Heaven. We cant do it on our own, that is why we need a mediator and that person is Jesus Christ. We cannot take his place, but he did take ours.

http://www.christianheadlines.com/news/what-is-ash-wednesday.html
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« Reply #11 on: March 06, 2014, 08:21:33 pm »

Quote
Panula said Muslims, Jews and even people who aren’t religious can honor the tradition as a reminder of man’s shortcomings. “People recognize that it is a symbol of our mortality,” he said. “It gives us a profound sense that we are mortal, and Ash Wednesday is a reminder of that.”

Having lived in New Orleans for almost 20 years - went through the whole Mardi Gras aka "Fat Tuesday"/Ash Wednesday ordeal every year - yeah, pretty much even the secular world in the greater New Orleans area were encouraged to partake in just this...where they have to give up an "indulgence" for the next 40 days starting on "Ash Wednesday", but on Mardi Gras, they can indulge in it to their heart's desire.

Scripture says otherwise...

Romans 14:14  I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean of itself: but to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean, to him it is unclean.
Rom 14:15  But if thy brother be grieved with thy meat, now walkest thou not charitably. Destroy not him with thy meat, for whom Christ died.
Rom 14:16  Let not then your good be evil spoken of:
Rom 14:17  For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.
Rom 14:18  For he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God, and approved of men.
Rom 14:19  Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another.
Rom 14:20  For meat destroy not the work of God. All things indeed are pure; but it is evil for that man who eateth with offence.
Rom 14:21  It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak.
Rom 14:22  Hast thou faith? have it to thyself before God. Happy is he that condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth.
Rom 14:23  And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.
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« Reply #12 on: February 20, 2015, 10:55:38 am »

In Search of Transformation: Lent and Maha Shivarathri

This March, may Hindus and Christians, as they go on their similar yet different journeys of spiritual self-inquiry, discover the beauty that lies between us.


I discovered that the Hindu holy day of Maha Shivarathri and Ash Wednesday are just a week apart this year and, as always, I find common ground in some Hindu and Christian practices.

Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent, a season of fasting and penance, where ash might be smeared on one's forehead. Lent is about an inner transformation, a time of contemplation, waiting for what is to come. The goal is to turn one's life more completely over to Christ and His way of life, but what different denominations do during Lent varies widely. Maha Shivarathri falls on different dates every year; it's about looking inward as a means for transformation, and practices for this Hindu holy day vary by sampradaya (similar to denomination) also.

The variation in when these Hindu and Christian holy days occur, and the different rituals and practices centering on them, is the beginning of finding similarities. But first, let me offer an explanation of the Hindu calendar.

Actually, the Hindu calendar is quite difficult to explain; it could be solar, lunar, lunisolar, or astrological, and regional, ethnic, and agricultural differences may arise. The people of India, where the majority of Hindus live and hail from, use around thirty calendars, making for many different days that mark the New Year. Just starting with language communities, there are the Gujarati Hindu Vikram Samvatsar (the day after Diwali), Marathi Gudi Padwa, Malayali Vishu, and Telugu Ugadi, to name a few. There is also variation in the celebration of other Hindu holy days; songs and prayers are often centered on different Gods/aspect of God. One such aspect of the divine is the Hindu trinity of Brahma, Vishnu, and Maheshwara or Shiva. Shiva itself means the auspicious one; His body is smeared with ash, He is often referred to as the God of Destruction, and He represents the power of transformation.

Maha Shivarathri is "Shiva's Great Night." It falls on the fourteenth day of the dark half of Kumbha, or Aquarius—this year on March 2. Devotees fast all day; bathe the sacred deity of Shiva (known as the Shiva Linga) with water, milk, honey, and saffron water; and chant Sri Rudram, the pre-eminent Vedic hymn to Shiva, or the 1,008 names of Shiva, chanting Om Namah Shivaya. The stotrams and bhajans, such as the Shiva Tandava Stotra, akin to hymns, are sung throughout the all-night vigil. Hindus marking the vigil contemplate and reflect, seeking to climb the Mount Kailas (the mountain abode of Shiva) within themselves, as a means to come closer to the Unmanifest Reality that Shiva represents. Devotees break their fast by eating the sacred prasadam, blessed food, offered earlier to the Lord. The following day is one of feasting and gaiety; joyfulness brings us closer to the bliss of God-realization.

We celebrate Maha Shivarathri in our family through rituals at the local Hindu temple, usually on the weekend following Maha Shivarathri; after all, we are in America and the work week doesn't stop to mark the multitude of Hindu holy days. The rituals include my favorite, a Jyotirlingarchana, where 1,008 special lamps arranged in a significant formation are lit, symbolic of the light of knowledge dispelling the darkness of ignorance. This is always followed by a program by the Bharata Natyam students who learn dance at the temple—Tandav (or Tandava). This is the cosmic dance of Shiva, a vigorous dance that is the source of the cycle of creation, preservation, and dissolution, with many dimensions, one of the most beautiful being the Ananda Tandava—Dance of Bliss.

Lent is, of course, not a time of joy, but a somber time, a time for emptying oneself and waiting for resurrection, but Shiva's Tandava has many aspects, not just the one of joy, as Shiva goes through several phases, such as Rudra Tandava, to express grief and anger. Hindu American Seva Charities Founder-Convener Anju Bhargava recently wrote of "spiritual self inquiry and discovery" in "The Importance of Seva and Social Justice for Inner Transformation."

This March, may Hindus and Christians, as they go on their similar yet different journeys of spiritual self-inquiry, discover the beauty that lies between us.

Read more: http://www.patheos.com/Resources/Additional-Resources/In-Search-of-Transformation-Padma-Kuppa-03-03-2011.html#ixzz3SIz18HvY
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What can you do for Jesus?  Learn what 1 person can accomplish.

The Man from George Street
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SkjMvPhLrn8
Mark
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« Reply #13 on: February 17, 2021, 03:54:49 pm »

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What can you do for Jesus?  Learn what 1 person can accomplish.

The Man from George Street
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SkjMvPhLrn8
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